#pair: valerius x camellia

[camelliagwerm]

i saw the prompt "confessing love in different languages so they don’t understand" and ran as fast as i could to your ask. i think this one would be great for valerius and camellia!!

There were two potential periods I could've set this in, but I elected for act 5. Also available on AO3

Her head rests on his chest, her ear pressed up against his heart and a finger idly tracing over the large purple scar that runs across his chest, a stark contrast to his grey skin. Valerius should not be surprised that Camellia was drawn to his heart, but since they agreed to give this relationship a try, it seems to be less about the organ itself, and more about the heartbeat itself.

It beats so differently from any other mortal's, she commented the first time, is it like that for all dhampir? He'd told her that it depends on just how the dhampir came to be - and he had more undeath in him than most.

Tonight, with all the tension from her body melted away, it has left her pliable, content. Camellia taps her fingers in time to each beat against his chest, learning its irregular rhythm; he wonders if the reason why she has not felt the desire to kill him yet stems from the fact she already possesses his heart. To cut it out would be nothing new.

And yet I'd allow you to carve my heart out a thousand times over out of my love for you, if you wished it, he thinks - and the intensity of it unsettles him.

"What did you say?" she asks, half mumbling her words. Her fingers still. She looks up at him, her gaze heavy-lidded and lazy. Valerius tenses a little underneath her, waiting for to continue. "You said something in Varisian."

He hesitates for a moment, reaching out to tuck some fine strands of hair behind her ear as he struggles to think. Telling her the truth might overwhelm her when they are meant to be taking this slowly. "Nothing of importance. Just thinking out loud."

She raises an eyebrow. "They say talking to yourself is a sign of madness, Commander. I do hope that is not the case."

Loving you certainly feels like madness at times. "Of course not." Valerius sighs, dropping his hand to the curve of her hip, where new bruises have already begun to mark her skin. He glances out of the window, where the sky has begun to darken over Drezen and frost begins to line the lead window panes. "Do you want me to walk you back to the house?"

"Absolutely not." The words come out sharper than he expected, Camellia pressing herself further against him so her warm body is flush against his. Her leg wraps around his, her foot brushing over his calf. When he tries to speak to clarify, she continues - "darling, it is deeply cold outside, and I am so very comfortable. I shall not be moving unless it is necessary."

That surprises him - even since they agreed to give this relationship a try, she's only permitted herself to remain the night -- or did not request he leaves her bed -- on the few nights he's fed from her. But he had not fed from her tonight. "Are you sure?"

She flashes a brief, coy smile, but even that has the edge of a predator anticipatng its next meal; long slender fingers returning to mirror his heartbeat again, "and besides, our shared, waxing appetites for one another makes for a very good reason to stay, do they not?"

[camelliagwerm]

11 + vali for the sensory prompts ! bonus points if u add valmellia flavour >:3c

11. Blood at the corner of your mouth | set during Wintersun, Act 3 | cw: gore, cannibalism, sacrifice | AO3 Link

It is an alluring sight, really, when he returns to the caverns where the dwarven shaman had lived, and found Camellia kneeling over the crumpled body on the ground, lost in the ecstasy of serving Mireya's hunger. He always did appreciate a woman who had a healthy appetite.

The sacrifice’s guts spilled across the floor - she had not been quick or clean this time, judging from the overwhelming smell of blood and how long it had been since Valerius had taken their companions outside to let Camellia ‘deal’ with her.

Watching her go through the same ritual without reeling from the revelation is exquisite. Droplets of blood trickling down from her mouth, the shuddering moans of pleasure as she takes in each bite – this time, a piece of intestine – with the proper deportment of a lady. He licks his lips, envious of her, eager to participate and passion coiling up tight in his belly.

Patience, he chides himself. 

When she opens her eyes, she looks directly at him, her eyes darkened with lust and hunger. A sultry smile curls her lips upwards, and she beckons him towards her. He is by her side in an instant – Camellia leading him over to the nearby pile of furs, pushing him back onto them before straddling him. Impatient fingers pull at each other’s laces to feel one another’s bare skin. Her tongue slips into his mouth – and he can taste the shaman on her, still feel the flecks of blood still at the corner of her lips.

By the time they are finally sated, Camellia catching her breath and falling on top of him, the fire that the shaman had been warming herself by has nearly died, and peeking from beyond the entrance of the cave is Wintersun’s hazy dusk. Valerius had made sure to position the camp more than a few strides away from the cave’s mouth, to make sure the sound did not carry and reach the party.

She stretches herself out like a cat, dragging her nails over the bare portion of his chest. She’d eagerly pulled at the laces of his gambeson to feel his muscles, his heartbeat as he’d taken her. “Mmm, thank you, Commander. Your dedication to closing the Worldwound is, as always, much appreciated.”

[camelliagwerm]

18 and 30 for Cam and Vali?

Thank you, Emi!

18. Who uses all the hot water?

Ignoring magic being a key factor here and there no doubt being runes and enchantments that can keep water permanently hot, it would be Camellia. She argues she has to go first because Valerius, being as cold as the grave most of the time, will just use most of it trying to warm up. This is a lie. She uses all the hot water because she enjoys long soaks on the bath.

30. what does their closet(s) look like?

I'm of two minds on this particular aspect. On one hand, I pretty much believe that since they have a combined wardrobe space - and a rather spacious one that is probably the size of the average bedroom. It might be more prudent to call it a dressing room - I would like to think that it would be well-organised. Valerius certainly has his part is arranged in an extremely specific way. Everything is in its correct place, neatly folded and arranged, either by himself or by servants to his very exacting specifications. However, Camellia is Camellia. She might complain about mess (e.g. the Lost Chapel) but she also complains about having to tidy stuff up because that's what servants are for. Hers is....we'll call it organised chaos. Not everything is in its right place, and more often than not, Valerius will find one of his shirts in her part of the wardrobe that he was looking to wear that day. She knows where everything is though - especially with things like her underthings - even if he couldn't make head or tail of it. It makes sense to her.

Aside from the things holding their clothes, there's a drawer or two for some of their more sensitive items. Camellia's vanity table. A couple of armchairs. A full length mirror. Hence why it's probably best to call it a dressing room. It's also connected to their bathroom.

DOMESTICITY MEME

[camelliagwerm]

If Valerius and Camellia were in a vtm au, what clans would they be in? 🦇 Would they be in the Camarilla or Sabbat, or try to be anarchs?

So fun fact, I got this question (or something similar) well over a year ago on my sideblog.

I maintain that Valerius would be a Ventrue antitribu - sure the Moroi read more like what we'd consider Toreador, but Ventrue is just too appropriate.

Dominate, Fortitude and Presence pretty much matches his stat array in WOTR (focus on STR / CON / CHA). Mid-to-low generation - probably around 7th naturally, but he would be the type to commit diablerie in order to strengthen himself and subsequently lower his generation. I imagine it would be something of a bloodline tradtion, since canonically the Dragaveis started mating with vampires to strengthen their bloodline.

Ventrue typically Embraced nobles, warlords, knights, merchant princes and in more modern nights - politicians, financiers, lawyers and judges. Valerius fits both types - he’s a noble, a lawyer, a knight. They also have an emphasis on honour, chivalry, duty. They like to maintain their own power, want to remain at the top. He is extremely fussy about who he drinks blood from, similarly to how a Ventrue’s Bane is Rareified Tastes - that is, they can only take nourishment from prey who fit a particular preference.

Similarly, the V5 clan compulsion, Arrogance, fits him well; the compulsion is “sometimes, the need to rule rears its head in the vampire” and they will stop at nothing until they assume command of a situation and someone obeys an order from them. This is extremely on brand with Valerius’ “don’t tell me what to do” approach with his diplomacy council and his gradual descent into tyranny.

Tracking humanity for him would be kind of pointless, but a Path of Enlightenment - the Path of Honourable Accord, which reeks of pure Lawful Evil to me. Nicknamed Knights, this path is full of Ventrue antitribu. They put a high value on ritual and ceremony; they always honour their agreements; they put an emphasis on duty over personal gratification which suits Valerius’ inner conflict; and they’re often regarded as being stern and taciturn - fitting in with Vellexia’s own assessment of his character (“you’re a stern knight-in-armour […] it is duty, not love that reigns in your heart […] your unshakeable devotion makes you even more desireable.”)

Camellia would fit the Toreador antitribu best: a dark mirror of the beautiful Roses, who loses herself in watching and indulging in the suffering of others like it's a beautiful painting. Similarly, her stat array works pretty solidly with them: Auspex, Celerity, Presence vs. her DEX / WIS / (respectable) CHA.

Given how V5 has changed the Sabbat, I wouldn't consider them Sabbat by V5 standards, and instead they're probably off causing absolute terror as independent (formerly Sabbat antitribus) when they're not in a haven - and both of them would have the Siren predator type.

[camelliagwerm]

24, 26, and 46 for Valmellia?

24. who remembers things?

Generally speaking I think they're both pretty good at remembering things. Valerius is more of a naturally organised person and tends to put everything into an itinerary, but sometimes his mind will let things slip because he has been so busy (even if it's something like 'what time was I meant to be having dinner with x?') and that's usually where Camellia steps in.

26. who cooks normally?

The servants, but Valerius would usually be the one cooking when they were on campaign. Camellia is canonically a terrible cook (Greybor and Wenduag both have banter about it, and Lann has another where he thinks her throwing a moldy log onto the fire smells good when....it really doesn't) and Valerius comes from a faith where food should be indulgent, rich. He's not letting her near the campfire (unless he wanted a piece of atrocious cooking for his daily obedience, I guess.)

46. (added) morning routine?

I feel like I've talked about their morning routine in the past before and it's nothing super exciting. Valerius usually gets up before the sun has risen to get some morning exercise in while she sleeps in, so they rarely wake up together. If they do, then usually they have a round of morning sex and if they really don't have to be anywhere, he'll also feed from her -- usually after a feed, she's sleepy and he's akin to a milk-drunk kitten. Morning feeds are rare for that very reason.

Anyway, usually by the time he's back from his morning exercise and has freshened up, Camellia will begrudgingly leave bed and the two of them will have breakfast together before he has to go about his duties and she starts getting ready for the day.

(When the twins are at That Age where they decide it's a great idea to wake Mama and Tată early, any form of a lie in is unlikely until the twins are older.)

[camelliagwerm]

i would love to kno if valerius n camellia ever decide to have a honeymoon n if they did, how would they spend it?

Due to his responsibilities, they don't get a proper honeymoon until a few months after their marriage and they want to wait until the weather is warmer (they marry towards the tail end of winter, but it is still bitterly cold.)

He takes her to his home city, Caliphas in Ustalav, which is a far cry from Drezen. The weather is nice enough for Camellia that she can get some much needed sun and warmth, but not so bad he is going to be miserable all the time with photosensitivity-induced migraines. It is also a lot more cosmopolitan and quite lovely in the late spring/early summer.

It's an extended break - they're in the city for three weeks - and use that time wisely. Opera and dinner dates. A much needed couples' spa treatment. Wine tasting at local vineyards. A couple of appearances at high society functions, at his mother's request. Plenty of sex. The ability to indulge in their darker impulses.

That break really gives them the opportunity to just be together with no responsibilities weighing either of them down, and to spoil each other rotten. They come back to Drezen feeling much lighter and even more disgustingly in love than they were before they left for their honeymoon.

[camelliagwerm]

Hand and/or caress for the word search game?

I had a few options here thanks to a sex scene:

At that, her thighs clamp around his hand at the shock of cold. He chuckles, but continues his ministrations, undeterred. “Do you think you can manage our new toy now, iubi?”

[camelliagwerm]

Is there anything Valerius 'won't' indulge Camellia in?

Believe it or not, despite her asking for it, he wouldn't feed from her until late act 5. He sees it as a far more intimate thing if he does it during sex and he and Camellia - at the time- weren't a formal couple. They were just friends with benefits. Feeding from her at the time would have made it too 'real'. Of course, he does eventually cave in and indulge her request, but only once they're together.

But aside from that, no. He can and will indulge her whenever possible. What is life for, if not indulging your desires and passions? And he is not immune to her batting those pretty eyes at him.

[camelliagwerm]

Can you describe Leonelle and Valerius' morning routines? What is Valerius' biggest regret? What is the hardest decision Leonelle has ever had to make?

Thank you!

MORNING ROUTINE:

for the purpose of consistency, I'm saying this is for their post-epilogues. Both of them are religious, yes, but they worship deities whose faithful go through their religious duties at night, which is why they're not mentioned in this routine.

VALERIUS: usually he gets up before it is too light outside so waking up is less harsh on his photosensitive eyes and either goes for a spar or taking his horse, Dason, for a ride. That is usually a couple of hours and usually by the time that's all done, Camellia is awake and will join him for breakfast. Breakfast for Vali at least always includes a black coffee and is generally pretty hearty/filling - eggs, cold cuts of meat, bread (usually with a salted butter), polenta - while Camellia usually goes for something sweet like a pastry or a bowl of fruit. Usually it's in companionable silence as by then he has his daily itinerary delivered to him and he can look it over, and Camellia doesn't have much patience for small talk. And then he'll prepare for the day - a wash (bathing tends to happen in the evening when he has more time on his hands), attending to his hair, nails and teeth, get dressed - before going into his day. When the twins are born, he'll usually stop in the nursery to spend a few moments with them on his way into meetings.

LEONELLE: she, on the other hand, prefers to lie in. She absolutely must not be disturbed before 8am at the very earliest, but preferably 9am. Her bed partner of choice might have already risen by then - Kanerah likes to make use of as many business hours as possible for her business ventures, and with Jaethal it ultimately depends on how late into the night she has either been working or catching up on all those indulgences she's missed when she was undead over whether she is still there. If they are still there, then Leonelle usually wants some morning affection. If they're not, then she'll send for a maid to help her dress and prepare for the day.

VALERIUS' BIGGEST REGRET:

What happened to Ember was never his intention and he is ashamed of how jealous he got over an orphan girl, and that she was getting her own following in the city. It made him feel threatened and he responded by shutting her congregation down wherever possible. Had he known it would have led to a descent into madness, he would have never have done that.

LEONELLE'S HARDEST CHOICE:

During the war with Pitax, Leonelle found out that her father had been trying to make contact with her - because why wouldn't he? In her experience, Asmodean priests are addicted to power - but neither Bartholomew (her grand diplomat) or Jaethal had - at first - allowed any of the letters to come through to her. Jaethal already knew about the situation between her Queen and her estranged father, and when the Cardinal started addressing letters to Delgado, Jaethal instructed him to make sure they do not get to the Queen because they will make her lose focus on their main concerns (Nyrissa and Irovetti.) But eventually, she knew it was a problem that needed to be rectified once the letters started implying blackmail, and she offered Leonelle a choice - her father could be assassinated (although it would mean interfering with the Church of Asmodeus and Chelaxian politics.)

Leonelle...did not know what to do. Her father's death would only bring her relief, but it would leave her mother and two youngest siblings without any support - and considering all three of them were devilspawn tieflings in Cheliax, they were unlikely to benefit from his death while they would at least still be comfortable if he was still alive. It was only after the war with Pitax was resolved that she eventually allowed Jaethal to go ahead with the assassination - she even had it made to look like it was a hit from someone else in the church; at the encouragement of both Kanerah and Kailkke, she arranged for her mother and youngest siblings to join her in Tuskdale.

[camelliagwerm]

Professional Curiosity • Chapter III - Ecstasy

RATING: E PAIRING: Knight-Commander x Camellia ; Valerius x Camellia ; Valerius / Camellia / Greybor TAGS/CONTENT WARNINGS: canon typical violence, explicit sexual content (dirty talk, light breathplay, edging, oral, blood k ink/blood drinking, biting), recreational drug use, aftercare, threesome — m/f/m SUMMARY: Needing a night away from Drezen and their responsibilities, Valerius and Camellia return to Alushinyrra to spend an evening with Greybor, leading to an… enlightening experience for their old friend. It’s entirely out of professional curiosity, of course. WORD COUNT: 5,231 (11,291 words total) AUTHOR’S NOTE: This took so embarrassingly long to write but it's done. I feel like at this point most people know that I've been working on this particular idea since September 2022, all because of a singular banter between Camellia and Greybor and the brainworms took over. Comments and kudos would be much appreciated for this one (if it's your thing - this is very explicit)

READ ON AO3 BECAUSE I AM NOT RISKING POSTING ANY OF THIS CHAPTER HERE.

[camelliagwerm]

Savour Its Sweet, Bloody Taste • Chapter VI

RATING: M PAIRING: Knight-Commander x Camellia ; Valerius x Camellia TAGS/CONTENT WARNINGS: moderate references to violence, post-game fic, dubious science SUMMARY: walking into the place where you should have been a sacrifice for your former lover's ashenmorn is a strange experience. WORD COUNT: 4,362 this chapter| 22,540 total AUTHOR’S NOTE: some new characters arrive!

Walking into the place where you should have been a sacrifice for your former lover’s ashenmorn is an odd feeling. She has not set foot in here since the uprising, where Valerius had defied Zacharius one last time. Here, his once loyal lapdogs — led by his captain of the Graveguard, Delamere — finally fought back against the master they’d despised so much. An entire colony of undead had been put to the sword, cleansed with Seelah and Sosiel’s radiant flames. But what was even stranger now is how much more alive the ziggurat feels; gone is the silent crypt-palace of the dead. As Valerius leads her through a shimmering barrier that flashes the same colours as the pallid crystal around his neck and the one given to her by Mistrum Balan, she quickly realises that this place is no longer a cold, monumental tomb, a sign of Valerius’ heresy. It is full of people — and not just the macabre hosts of Gebbites and Whispering Way agents. There are priests; richly dressed aristocrats; servants scurrying about and even the musical wailing of a dirge bard carrying down the halls. “This is the true Pallid Court,” he says, barely looking at her as a rabble begins to form around them. He waves off all approaching petitioners, pilgrims and nobles attempting to take succour in his profane presence. Many appear, at first glance, to have a touch of undeath or rot about them — tight, ashen skin pulled over skulls, a nauseating aroma clinging to them like a perfume; others have bloated bodies from years of glutting themselves in the Pallid Princess’ name. “I would say welcome, but…”

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[camelliagwerm]

Savour Its Sweet, Bloody Taste • Chapter V

RATING: M PAIRING: Knight-Commander x Camellia ; Valerius x Camellia TAGS/CONTENT WARNINGS: moderate references to violence, post-game fic, a wild Elyanka appears SUMMARY: with the final preparations being put it in place, long-standing tensions and fears come back to the fore. 3086 wordsAUTHOR'S NOTE: a combo of lack of inspiration and full-time work has been an absolute killer on the motivation to write but I'm glad I've finally managed to get a chapter out (let's not talk about how it's been 7 months)

With the plan set in motion, Valerius has found his time being divided between his regular duties and visits to the sweltering laboratories set up in the depths of the old ziggurat; Elyanka’s people have taken to the work with zeal and curiosity, but they are still Elyanka’s people – and so he placed a trusted friend and a loyal subject as the overseers of the project.

By now, he has seen enough of the process: it required his participation in order for it to work. And that process is bloody, brutal and yet brilliant – a marriage of science and magic, crafting and shaping a copy of him out of little more than a few locks of hair, droplets of blood and seed, and a small flaying of the flesh. The flaying, done by the Shackleborn tiefling Nela – who came to the city in search of a patron –  still aches. It had been agonising as she’d expertly taken just two small cuts of skin from him, droplets of blood pooling at his eyes as he’d bitten down on a block of wood to stop his screams; the wood had snapped far too quickly and he had to spit splinters from his mouth.

“The pain will be a lasting memory, a taste of His Enlightenment, your Grace,” she had told him, her barbed tail curling her flayer’s knife, the smell of blood clogging the air of the laboratory.  The knife’s burning sting could not even be soothed by the cold touch of his necromantic healing – a lasting reminder of what he has to do in order to no longer have Mendev snapping at his heels.

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[camelliagwerm]

Savour Its Sweet, Bloody Taste • Chapter VII

RATING: E PAIRING: Knight-Commander x Camellia ; Valerius x Camellia TAGS/CONTENT WARNINGS: explicit violence, blood & gore, cannibalism SUMMARY: everything has been set. The ritual must be done. WORD COUNT: 3,050 this chapter| 25, 587 total AUTHOR’S NOTE: I was not expecting to get another chapter done so soon, but I'm not going to question it if the muse is gracing me with its presence.

Perhaps he should have asked Greybor for advice before rushing into this, though his friend would have charged him at an extortionate rate – far more than what Balan negotiated with Camellia – especially now given his position in the Guild and the control he reportedly has over Alushinyrran society. He could hear the admonishment now – why bother with all of this fuss when a simple blade would do? You’re the richest man this side of the Eye of Dread.

He knows the answer to that rhetorical question – she is in this very room, communing with the spirit she claims will help her with the ritual, drawing on the power that flows through the ziggurat like blood through veins to bolster her magic and connection. She looks at peace, her lips moving silently as her thumb runs over the amulet that stores her voracious spirits.

Valerius wrests his gaze away from her, reaching for a tankard of wine and downs its contents in one draught, hoping to drown the doubts away, but no sooner than draining the final drop, Nenio calls to him.

“It is ready. Now, assistant, I will need your strength.”

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[camelliagwerm]

Professional Curiosity • Chapter I - The Bliss

RATING: E PAIRING: Knight-Commander x Camellia ; Valerius x Camellia ; Valerius / Camellia / Greybor TAGS/CONTENT WARNINGS: canon typical violence, explicit sexual content, threesome — m/f/m SUMMARY: Needing a night away from Drezen and their responsibilities, Valerius and Camellia return to Alushinyrra to spend an evening with Greybor, leading to an… enlightening experience for their old friend. It's entirely out of professional curiosity, of course. WORD COUNT: 3,222 AUTHOR’S NOTE: This has been something of a nightmare to write; I've been trying to work on it for nearly a year at this point, but with it steadily trucking along and it now being October (Kinktober time), I figured I'd break this up into chapters since this is going to be a long one.

“Why, Greybor,” she begins huskily, arching into her husband’s touch, “I did not take you to be a voyeur.”

Valerius smiles into her neck as he nips the column of her throat, just enough to draw a trickle of blood. His tongue laps at it eagerly. She digs her nails into him in response.

Greybor chuckles — it is low, rough and rather pleasing to her. Their eyes are firmly trained on one another. “Watching people in their most vulnerable moments is a useful habit to have in our line of work.”

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[camelliagwerm]

Savour Its Sweet, Bloody Taste • Chapter IV

RATING: M

PAIRING: Knight-Commander x Camellia ; Valerius x Camellia

TAGS/CONTENT WARNINGS: descriptions of gore, references to A Noble Intent.

SUMMARY: Weakened and restless after spending days cooped up in an inn, Camellia seeks a place to commune with her spirits. 3421 words.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I’m not dead, I’ve just been going through it. In all seriousness, I wrote this in a fugue state the past couple of days, and I wanna give a quick thanks / acknowledgement to @bearvanhelsing for proof-reading this beast.

It is the two spirits entwined in her amulet, one of battle and one of bone, that guide her feet, her thoughts, reminding her in whispers that it has been some time since they have all communed; and before she realises it, she is standing in the middle of the slums, moving down twisted, dilapidated alleyways to the abandoned house where all of this began. It does not seem to have changed much. The front door is covered in frost and barely hanging onto its hinges, and the one, dirty windowpane next to it is shattered.

Thinking back to that night always stirs fondness, relief and a touch of fear. She should have died that night, but Valerius had thought to spare her instead, for reasons she assumed had been purely pragmatic rather than a matter of faith — and then afterwards, there had been a secret for a secret, so she understood his decision and helped define the nature of their arrangement - mutually beneficial, mutually pleasurable. Until the feelings got involved.

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[camelliagwerm]

Valerius x Camellia: Hunger (<3)

thank you Rowan!

I know I've mentioned to you that part of Valerius' mythic power specifically as a Lich is that he was able to grant domains to his undead followers, but I imagine that went one step further with him, and he was able to grant some necromancy spells to his divine spellcaster companions, whether that was intentional or not, as a result of their continued proximity to him. Of course, he thought it was a result of Urgathoa being pleased with him for a successful Reaping rather than the Mythic Fuckery™

He actively cultivated this with Camellia over any of the others after the events of A Noble Intent, primarily focusing on granting and teaching her more...gluttonous necromancy spells that would both help sate Mireya's and her own appetite - the false life spells and the inflict wounds spells.

pairing + word = headcanon (still open :3c)